thing of writhing flames, the brilliant car swept
downwards from the sky, where it had waited. Almost, it seemed to skim
the scarlet floor of the platform and to scoop up its owner, for none
saw Apleon lift a foot to step into it, yet the next moment he was
soaring away seated within the upper convolution of the serpent sign.

For hours, thousands of the people remained within the sweep of the
great "Fan," talking of all that had occurred, and more absolutely
convinced than ever that Apleon was God--_their_ God.

Thrice during the next hour after Apleon's departure, three separate
faithful souls--one of the three a woman--raised a testimony against
the Man of Sin. But each one met with death within thirty seconds of
their first utterance.

"_And white robes were given unto everyone of them; and it was said
unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their
fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they
were, should be fulfilled._"

There were, scattered over all the earth, many thousands of believers
in God, praying "Thy kingdom come." Many of these had turned to God
during the first days of the shock of realization of "things as they
truly were," when the "Church" had been translated to the heavenlies.

The number of these believers had been added to considerably, during
the awful times of war, pestilence and famine, for these horrors (so
plainly predicted in the word of God) had taught them to read their
Bibles with new eyes, and to receive its truths and obey them. Of
these believers, many had been, and many, many more were yet to be
"_slain on account of the Word of God, and on account of the testimony
which they held fast_.

The whole of the three-and-a-half years had been rife with growing
horrors, with licentiousness, and every evil possible to the
unregenerate mind, and heart, and life, when full license is given to
them.

The license and indulgence permitted--even arranged for, in the first
instance--by the apostate church with a view to the more perfect
enslavement of the world's worshippers, had brought forth a full
harvest of evil. The effect of license is disorder, and presently
anarchy. For three-years-and-a-half the apostate church had grown in
assumption and in all abominations, and the effects of the license
permitted, and _fearfully abused_, had produced a condition of things
which became such an intolerable burden, that the time had become ripe